England Advances To World Cup Semi-Finals With Win Over Sweden

In advance of England's semifinal against Croatia on Wednesday, the national team's biggest match for 28 years, Roberts appealed for revellers to behave.

England's stars would become immortal like Sir Alf Ramsey's stars of 1966 and Southgate believes lifting the World Cup might be even bigger in this modern world of social media and instant connectivity.

Southgate's rising profile has been a bonanza for lookalike airline pilot Neil Rowe, who even managed to temporarily fool BBC TV presenter and former England global Gary Lineker when he spied him in the crowd during the match against Sweden.

On Monday the 23-strong squad completed a full training session a 10-minute drive away at their camp in Zelenogorsk, which was renovated by the Football Association and will be handed back to the local community after England leave.

The last time England reached this stage of any major competition was at Euro 96, when Seaman and Southgate were team-mates on home soil.

One of the biggest calls Southgate made prior to departing for Russian Federation was to name Tottenham forward Harry Kane as his captain.

"But of course you get an accumulation of fatigue, through a tournament that's why we took the decision we did against Belgium more than anything".

England is the only team in the semi-finals that has lost a game in the tournament.

"All I would ask is, no matter what the result is, enjoy yourself, celebrate how far we've come and look after each other without putting yourself or anyone else at risk".

England have four days to recover before facing Croatia in the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday night.

"They've been through a lot".

"My guys feel like conscript soldiers whose term of service was over just when they were preparing to go into battle". Beckham promised to buy Zlatan whatever he wanted from IKEA if Sweden would have beaten England.

Even at Wimbledon, the home of lawn tennis, updates of England's goals were spread by fans watching or listening to the match on their cell phones.